How Mischief Met Tasers
by LokiDisturbia
Summary: Can be read as a sort of prequel to "Mischief With a Side of Tasers." Picks up after "The Avengers." I suck at summaries sorry. But just give it a go :) Loki x Darcy
1. Chapter 1

"Will you kill me now, my _king_?!" Loki spat the last word.

"SILENCE!" Odin commanded, his staff striking the ground. His tone grew softer, "I cannot - _will not_ - kill you, my son."

"I am NOT your son!" Loki shouted, jumping to his feet. Odin looked away.

"What is to be my punishment, then?" Loki finally said.

"You are banished from Asgard. You will spend your exile on Midgard, with meager magic, helping to undo what you have done. You will work with the Midgardians and help rebuild their world, and further secure it from threats, both outside of their realm and inside. You will eat with them, you will _live_ with them."

"Midgard?!" Loki yelled indignantly. "You punish me, All-Father. You imprison me. But do not force me down to that vile realm of witless fools. And, you tell me, I must _help_ them?"

"You must, and you WILL. You shall return to Asgard when I see fit. Until then, Loki, I suggest you learn to live with them and see them for more than 'witless fools'. Learn to love them. As Thor does." Odin said.

"Love them? LOVE THEM!? All-Father you mock me. I can only _pity_ them. As for Thor, he's a witless fool himself!" Loki voiced.

"_Thor_ shall come with you. Ensure you do not… Cause any mischief."

"So it's decided then? You're banishing me. To MIDGARD?" Loki's eyes glowed.

"You brought it upon yourself, Loki." Odin said, his eyes downcast and his tone sorrowed. "Farewell."  
There was a flash of many colors, and the next instant, Loki was gone.

* * *

Darcy closed her eyes, and brought her hand up to squeeze the bridge of her nose. "You're kidding me, right Jane?"

"Sorry, Darcy, no…" Jane said, sounding apologetic. "But please?"

"So let me get this straight…" Darcy started, straightening up and facing Jane. "Your super beefy boyfriend's psychopathic brother-slash-not really brother, who practically leveled all of New York and almost destroyed the world, is now coming here. To Earth. To help S.H.I.E.L.D. And you want me to come with you to _meet him_?"

Jane frowned. "It sounds worse when you put it like that." She said.

"Well, how else am I supposed to put i?" Darcy asked, exasperated.

"Um… You're coming with me to meet my boyfriend's brother, who's going to be working around here from now on?"

"Hello?! You forgot the 'not really brother' who's a psychopath that almost destroyed the world part? Oh yeah, and godly powers?" Darcy raised her eyebrows.

"Well actually, Thor said he only has a few powers left; not much." Jane corrected, explaining.

"Oh yeah, of course, that makes it _all_ better." Darcy said, sarcasm practically dripping from her voice.

"Pleeeeeaaaaaase, Darcy?" Jane begged, putting on a pout and opening her eyes wide.

Darcy got up from her chair and grabbed her coat from a nearby hook, slinging it over one of her arms.

"I swear, you'll be the death of me, Jane… You owe me _big_ time…" she muttered.

* * *

Loki locked his jaws hard, his eyes narrowed as he took in the too-familiar-for-his-liking scenery of Midgard.

"Brother." Thor called out. Loki didn't respond, standing still.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is this way." Thor said, his voice closer now. Thor grabbed onto the gold handcuffs tethering Loki's arms behind his back and half-shoved, half-led him to the tall black glass building a few hundred yards away.

Loki gritted his teeth. He was going to despise this…

* * *

Darcy hummed a little to herself as she busied herself destroying giant green pigs on her iPhone. She pulled out an earphone and looked to Jane.

"Can we leave yet?" She asked, looking a little hopeful.

"Darcy, we haven't even _seen_ Loki yet." Jane said, frowning.

Darcy's face fell. "When is this guy going to show up anyways? I'm getting bored."

Suddenly, Jane gaped at something off to the side. Darcy followed her gaze. To their right, was a one-way window, and on the other side, Thor prodded a tall man forward. The man –excuse me, god—was dressed in green, gold and black, his arms handcuffed behind his back. He had shoulder-ish length black hair, flipped back out of his face. Slowly, he turned to look through the window and his eyes… They were a brilliant shade of green. They seemed to pierce right through her – almost as if he could actually _see_ her.

"Damn…" Darcy muttered underneath her breath.


	2. Chapter 2

"Damn…" Darcy muttered under her breath.

"What?" Jane asked, and Darcy was brought back abruptly to reality. She shook her head a little, trying to clear it. Darcy fixed her gaze on Jane and smiled a little.

"Never mind. Come on, let's go meet ourselves a psychopath."

* * *

Loki glared at his surroundings. The green monster, Hulk, they called him, sat directly in front of him, in its human form. Thor stood behind Loki's chair, making sure his handcuffs were in place. The man that wore that absolutely ridiculous looking elastic suit, Captain Antartica, or something of the sort, sat to his right, and on his left was the archer. The Man of Iron sat to the left of the monster. Finally, the woman with the fiery hair completed their "team", sitting to the monster's right. She especially looked a little fidgety. Loki smirked at the thought.

Then, another man walked in. A man he recognized. Directory Fury. Loki looked at him, and let a sly smile crawl across his face, his eyes narrowed.

"Loki." Fury began. "You have come to S.H.I.E.L.D…." Loki tuned out after that, concentrating on surveying the "Avengers". He knew them all. Boring.

Suddenly, there was clang, as Director Fury slammed his palms down on the table. "You cause a lot of damage last time you were here, Loki." He said.

Loki tilted his head. "I do try…" Directory Fury ignored him.

"That will not happen again, you understand? We are done here. Coulson will instruct you at some point in the near future." He tapped his earpiece, listening to something on the other end, and began to walk to the door.

Abruptly, he stopped. "Oh yes, your handcuffs are to remain on until I say them can come off. And you'll have an escort at all times."

Fury opened the door and strode out. The door swung shut behind him and Loki relaxed in his chair. "So." He turned to face Natasha. "You escaped my bargain. But that doesn't mean you're still not a mew-"

"Brother." Thor cut off.

"I AM NOT your brother!" Loki said loudly, surprising most of the people in the room.

"I am Loki. And only Loki." He said, his tone quieter.

"Loki." Thor corrected himself.

Suddenly, there was a sharp rap on the door, and Loki jerked up straight. He didn't turn around, but he felt Thor move and walk to the door and slide it open a few inches.

"Jane." He said softly.

Loki perked up even further. Was the person at the door… Thor's woman? The mortal he had fallen in love with? Loki scoffed inside his head. Fool.

There was more hurried whispering from the door.

"One momentary lapse in time, please." He heard Thor say. Then there was a feminine giggle.

"Oh sorry." Thor said, "One minute, please." He corrected himself.

Thor strode away from the door and back to where Loki was. He knelt down beside him. "No more tricks, Broth- Loki. No mischief. You are going to meet Jane Foster. And her assistant Darcy." Thor said to him.

Loki shook his head, scoffing. More mortals to meet. These ones were probably even more pathetic than the Avengers. He didn't bother to answer. Thor frowned, then got up. Loki heard the door being pulled open, and two sets of feet walking in; their steps lighter and sharper than his brother-not his brother- THOR's dull, heavy thud. He still didn't turn around.

"Hey Jane. 'Sup, Darce?" the Man of Iron called.

Loki looked to him. He had his hand raised up to his head in a mock salute as he grinned boyishly. The rest of the Avengers' usually grim mouths turned up a little as well. Darce? Didn't Thor say her name was Darcy? Loki thought to himself. He then abruptly stopped. Why did it matter. She was a mortal.

He turned around to face the door. On one side, stood a thin, elvishly pretty, petite woman, obviously Thor's style. The fact that his arm was around her further proved that. That must be Jane. Loki flinched a little at how low his brother- no, he wasn't his brother, DAMN IT! If only he could stop thinking as if he was- THOR had gone, being with a mortal woman.

And on the other side, there was a different woman. Darcy, he presumed. She was slightly taller; more full, and had long dark brown hair. She hadn't met his eyes yet; she was too busy doing something on the device in her hand while sipping from a cup in her other hand. Finally, she looked up, and her eyes met his; wide and long-lashed.

She was pretty, he'd give her that. Wait. NO. She was a mortal. Nothing more. He was a god. She was beneath him. He sneered.

* * *

Darcy fought back a little involuntary shiver as Loki's powerful eyes surveyed her; seeming to evaluate her inside his head. Darcy decided to just ignore him, and instead grinned and walked around the table to where Tony was.

"Hey, Tony!" She said, reaching down and giving him a quick hug, careful not to tip her cup full of orange Fanta.

"Natasha. Bruce. Clint. Steve." She said, nodding her head once in each person's direction. They all nodded back, Steve murmuring a "Hi.", and Natasha flashing a grin and calling out a, "Hey, Darcy."

"So." She started. "How am I supposed to react to meeting a psychopathic god?"

* * *

Loki's eyes widened. Had she just—? Yes, she had. She had insulted him. The MORTAL! How dare she?

"Silence, you insolent mort-" He began, but was promptly cut off.

"Hey!" She'd already protested, her eyes finally whipping back to meet his, narrowed.

"If someone destroys New York and almost takes over the world, well then, what the hell AM I supposed to call them? NOT psychopathic?"

The rest of the Avengers stood dumbfounded, watching as Darcy and Loki glared intensely at each other. Then, an idea popped into Loki's head. He was sure the All-Father had left him with enough powers for at least that.

The cup in Darcy's hand seemed to tip over on its own accord, spilling down the front of her white shirt. She gasped.

"You… You… Did NOT just…" She sputtered. Loki grinned smugly.

"Did you see me move anything, DARCY?" He emphasized her name. "You need to learn to be more careful with your beverages, don't you?"

Darcy set her teeth. Oh no, he did not just.

"That's it." She finally said, throwing up her arms. "You're going down."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a metal box-device-thing. Loki looked at it confused. He ignored the voices of all the Avengers protesting around him, all saying, "Darcy, no, no, no, no!"

What could that thing possibly do to a god?

Then, everything went black…

* * *

"Darcy do you have to initiate every new god with getting tased?" Jane asked exasperated.

"What? He ruined my new shirt!" She protested.

"I thought it was hilarious!" Tony chimed in.

* * *

Loki's eyes fluttered open and he groaned. There was a pounding pain in the back of his head. And something was poking him. Hard. In the ribs. In his sensitive state, it hurt like Hel.

"Ow!" He moaned, his vision still blurry. The poking stopped.

"Just wanted to see if you were awake…" A voice said from his right. He turned towards it, his eyes starting to focus. He was abruptly brought face to face with Darcy, leaning close and peering over him. He jumped, eyes wide, almost falling off the edge of whatever he was resting on.

"God, woman!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're a god. But hello, my name's not woman. It's Darcy. Darcy Lewis. Pleased to meet you."

"Loki. Are you all right?" A familiar voice boomed from the corner. Loki turned to face an apologetic-looking Thor.

"What happened?" Loki groaned. "And get this pathetic mortal off of me, please."

Darcy backed up. "It's Darcy. Jeez, I was just trying to help. Make up for tasing you."

"Wait… You mean… You are the cause of my current state?" Loki asked, incredulous.

Thor chuckled in the corner. "She tased me when I first came to Midgard as well."

Loki turned to Darcy again, "You tased Thor?!"

Darcy grinned. "And proud of it."

Loki allowed himself to smile at her, then hastily pressed his mouth back into a grim line. She was still a mortal. But as most go, she wasn't terrible, really. But still a mortal. He had to keep reminding himself that…

Besides. She'd insulted him. And "tased" him, whatever that was. Actually, whatever it was, he did not want to be attacked by it again.


	3. Chapter 3

"Eat, Brother." Thor commanded.

Loki glared at him.

"Eat, Loki." Thor corrected himself.

Loki glanced down at his evening meal. It was pathetic mortal fare; extremely meager and limited.

"What _is_ this?" he asked distastefully.

"It is spaghetti. It is food that the Midgardians call 'Italian'." Thor said, seeming proud to know so much about Midgardian culture.

Loki tentatively swirled his fork in this, "spaghetti". He frowned down at this plate. Serving this to _a god_? He picked up his fork, sliding the Midgardian fare into his mouth. He chewed twice, then swallowed. His eyes went wide. Immediately he shoved the plate away from him.

"This is… _disgusting_! Are you trying to kill me Thor?" He exclaimed. "Is that even food? How can even the _mortals_possibly bear eating that?!"

Thor shrugged. "Loki does not like Italian." He said, as if making a mental not to himself. "I'll get you something else." He said, "American food."

"American? We are eating Steve Rogers?" Loki asked incredulously.

* * *

"This is… not bad…" Loki said, as he took a bite into his burger. "Nothing, not even a speck of dust, compared to Asgardian fare, but _far _better than that _vile_, foul spaghetti."

Suddenly, the door opened and Darcy strode in. "You don't like spaghetti?" She asked, seeming amazed.

Loki glared at her, debating whether or not to answer. Finally, he gave up and sighed, "No. It is disgusting. How do you mortals eat it?" He looked back down to his burger and took another bite.

"Two things…" Darcy began, "First of all, it's not 'you mortal', or 'woman' or 'insolent fool' or whatever, it's _Darcy_. Secondly, it's freaking _Italian_, what's _not_ to love?"

Loki shuddered, averting his eyes to the untouched plate of spaghetti off to his right. Darcy followed his gaze.

"Hey, can I have that?" She suddenly asked.

Loki looked at her, curious. "I will not eat any more of it." He said. "But I have already eaten from that plate." He added, eyebrows down.

Darcy shrugged, "It's not like I care, hello, it's spaghetti." She reached over and grabbed the plate, pulling it towards her. She grinned, then got up and walked out of the room, taking the plate with her.

Loki stared at the door. This Darcy. She was a strange one…

* * *

"Where am I to rest for nightfall, Thor?" Loki asked, half-sarcastic.

Thor shifted nervously. "Um… That has not been decided yet…"

Loki looked at him, wondering if he was actually serious.

"I do not wish to leave you here, Broth- Loki." Thor finally said. "You may come stay in the living complex Jane Foster and I share." He added, slightly hesitant.

Loki stared for a minute. "You dare to insult me in such a way?" He began, starting to sound angry. "I am a god!"

"And so am I!" Thor responded firmly. "If you wish to stay here and sleep on the table, then by all means, do!"

Loki turned away, arms crossed; hands still in cuffs. He set his jaw. "Fine."

* * *

Darcy knocked on Jane's door, her sleeping bag, a pillow, and a medium sized handbag tucked under one arm. "JANE?! THOR?!" She called out.

Finally, she heard footsteps running to the door. Jane opened it a few inches, sticking her head through.

"Oh, it's you, Darcy." She opened the door fully and let her step in.

"Darcy, what are you doing here after 8 pm?" she said, "And why do you look like you're spending the night?"

Darcy shrugged, and set her stuff down. "Okay, so there are these annoying like, constructor dudes. And they're building this huge _thing_ across the street from my apartment. And their construction noises are so loud and annoying, I couldn't sleep. The noises were seriously like _bam bam bam bam bzrrrrrg-_"

"Darcy!" Jane cut off. Darcy shrugged and grinned.

"So anyways yeah, that's why I brought my stuff so I could stay here." She said.

Jane looked at Darcy and made an awkward expression. "Er… If you don't mind the other… uh… guest…"

She stepped back fully. Darcy peeked through past her.

From the couch, Loki glared dully back.

* * *

Jane grabbed Darcy's arm and practically dragged her to a separate room.

"Wait, so I have to share a room with _him_?!" Darcy shrieked for like the eighth time.

"Sorry Darcy. It's either that or you have to go home…" Jane said, looking sincerely sorry.

"So it's either a psychopathic god or _bam bam bam bzrrrrrg_ all night long?"

"He's not dangerous!" Jane protested.

"Yeah totally, he just destroyed all of New York, _of course_ he's not dangerous, Jane." Darcy said, her tone dripping sarcasm.

"He only has a little magic left. Not enough to harm anyone. Besides it's not like you have to share a bed or anything. And Thor will know immediately if there's wrong." Jane said, attempting to sound consoling.

"Wait does Thor have like some mischief-detector built into his head or something?" Darcy asked, suddenly curious.

Jane sighed. "Besides, Loki has handcuffs on, Darcy."

Darcy debated internally for a minute, then sighed.

"Fine."

* * *

Darcy walked tentatively into Jane's living room. Loki was standing up, staring out the window.

"So I guess we're roomies for tonight…" She started, inching farther into the room.

Loki didn't move at all, ignoring her.

"Fine. Be that way." She muttered underneath her breath. Suddenly, she brightened. "But I get the couch!"

Loki turned around at that, just in time to see Darcy make a dive for the couch, and his eyes widened as he started to lunge for it too.

Darcy landed on the couch first, but it was too late, Loki was already in mid-leap. He landed half on top of her, clonking heads, then immediately jumped back. Darcy rubbed her head. "Ow!" She exclaimed.

Loki grimaced, then turned away slightly.

And then, Darcy shot up from the couch and ran over to Loki, placing her hands on either side of his head and bringing her head up, clonking his forehead with hers again.

Loki pulled back almost instantaneously, glaring at her. "What was that for?"

"So I don't grow horns." Darcy replied simply.

Loki continued to stare. Wait. What?

"It's a superstition. If you bonk heads once, do it again or you'll grow horns." Darcy explained

Loki ground his teeth together. This mortal… He shook his head in disbelief, then strode away, back to stand by the window.

Darcy shrugged, then fully unzipped her sleeping bad, turning it into a blanket, and then pulling it over her as she settled down onto the couch.

"I am a _god_. I will have the couch. Hand over the precedence, mortal." Loki said, still staring out the window, his voice firm.

No answer. "Do you not hear me?" He asked again. Still no answer.

He abruptly whirled around, his eyes flashing. "Insolen-" he began, but stopped mid-sentence.

Oh. Darcy's breath was steadily moving in and out, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful. She was asleep. The fire in his eyes quelled. But he still was wrought with annoyance, as he was now forced to sleep on the floor. A _god_. On the _floor_.

Groaning, he lay down a couple feet away from the couch. He was extremely tired and exhausted, the majority of his powers gone; otherwise he would not have slept in such disgrace at all.

He settled down, his hands struggling a little against the handcuffs until they adjusted.

Slowly, he let his eyelids fall shut as he drifted off…

* * *

Loki's eyes shot open as something heavy thudded onto his chest. It was warm, moving a little.. Something soft cascaded lightly onto his face, that smelled a little deliciously of strawberries. Was that… Hair?

The _mortal_. She'd rolled off the couch. He cursed under his breath, and used his half-capable hands to roll her off of him and to the side. His chest felt a little cold, missing the warmth that had been there a second ago. Wait. NO. She was a _mortal_, just a mortal. He looked to her.

She was _still asleep_. The indolence! After ruining his own sleep, she dared to sleep so soundly?!

Wait. Now she was off the couch. So _he _could sleep there. He got up, ready to go walk to the couch, then stopped, looking back at her. She was still where he had rolled her. He debated for a moment, then sighed. He couldn't leave her there. As much as he wanted to.

Maybe they could… Share? His insides wrenched at the thought and he visibly flinched. But grinding his teeth together, and cursing again, he walked over to her, and slid his hands, still in handcuffs, under her, lifting her, with a little difficulty in his reduced state. He deposited her onto the couch. Something that looked like a black box fell out of one of her hands.

Curious, Loki bent down over it. Oh. It was her "taser". She _slept_ with the weapon? Loki fought back waves of both bad memories and amusement at her impartibility with it. He kicked the weapon aside, then looked back at the couch.

Hmm… The couch was fairly big… He moved her feet, swinging them over to the floor, so she was kind of sitting. She snored lightly. Loki shook his head. She was a horribly sound sleeper…

He settled himself into the other end, falling asleep again.

* * *

Darcy shifted uncomfortably in her sleep. She was dreaming. Especially vivdly. It involved a pair of eyes that seemed to immediately pierce through her soul, making her feel things she was uncomfortable with. Eyes that were green. So green…

* * *

Darcy's eyes fluttered open groggily as sunlight brightened the room. She was still so sleepy. She snuggled closer into her pillow. Suddenly she realized something. Her pillow was not as soft as usual and it was _colder_. The fabric felt different too. She opened her eyes fully, turning to look at it.

Loki's eyes were closed; he was still asleep. Her head was resting on his chest, using it as a pillow. His arm was thrown casually over her. Darcy shrieked, eyes wide in surprise, and Loki woke up just as she backed away in surprise, but there was nowhere to go. She fell backwards instead off the couch, arms flailing and eyes squeezed shut for impact.

But she didn't feel it. She opened her eyes. Something was supporting her. Thor held her up.

"I heard your shout, Darcy." He said. He glanced to Loki, with a worried expression.

"Thanks." Darcy mumbled. "He didn't do anything." She added, with a sidelong glance at Loki, daring him to say anything otherwise. "Not even try to help me…" She half-whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

Thor grimaced and nodded, setting Darcy gingerly down on the floor. Darcy flashed a half-smile at him, then grabbed her bag. "I'm going to go… er… brush…" she finished lamely, then darted off towards the bathroom.

Thor looked once more at Loki, eyebrows furrowed, then walked away, hearing Jane call out his name.

Loki got up from the couch and walked to the window again.

He breathed in the air, still scented with her heady scent. He exhaled all at once, abruptly. He hated that scent for how it muddled his senses…

He clenched his jaw. Had she not noticed? He _had_ reached forward to stop her from falling, his own eyes opened wide. His hands had shot out and he had leaned forward, going to catch her. Damn these handcuffs! Thor had come in instead and saved her. He hadn't been able to. She didn't even know he was going to. Loki cursed under his breath.

What was he doing? Why did it even matter? It didn't matter she thought he was cruel enough to not do anything as she fell. He _was_ cruel.What was she to him anyway? No one special… She was just a woman. A _mortal_ on top of that. She did not matter to him. IT DIDN'T MATTER. Now if only he could convince _himself_ of that...


	4. Chapter 4

Darcy flipped her hair over one shoulder as she fluidly opened the yellow door and climbed in, hastily mumbling directions to the cab driver.

He grunted in acknowledgement, and as the cab took off, Darcy leant back in her seat. She looked over at the brown paper bag next to her. Jane's lunch. She'd forgotten it. Again. Darcy rolled her eyes. You'd think an astrophysicist with three degrees would remember to take her lunch with her. But _nooo_.

About ten minutes later, the cab pulled to a stop in front of that big black S.H.I.E.L.D. building Darcy felt that she knew too well for her own liking.

"Thanks." She called once, throwing a twenty towards the front of the cab and clambering out, almost tripping (hey, no one saw that!), and slamming the door behind her. She pulled on the polished metal handle on one of the huge glass double-doors marking the outside entrance to the building, ready to be bombarded by about a thousand levels of security.

She sighed. This was going to take a while.

* * *

"Darcy?!" Jane asked surprised. Darcy simply collapsed onto the other side of the low couch Jane was daintily perched on.

"You forgot your lunch." She groaned, thrusting the paper bag towards Jane. Jane took it, it looking a little surprised. "I did?"

Darcy rolled her eyes. "No Jane, you didn't. That's why I cleared a billion levels of security; to bring you food you already had."

There was a short chuckle, masked with a hasty cough. For the first time since she walked in the room, Darcy looked around.

Loki stood off to the side, looking away at nothing in particular. His hair moved a little before settling down; like he had just whipped his head away from looking at something else. Thor stood a few feet away from him.

"Hello, Darcy!" He said, grinning.

"Hey L- Thor!" Darcy answered, cutting herself off. No way she was going to say Loki. She was going to say something else… Right?

Loki's head shot up. Had Darcy just…? Was she about to say his name? Loki quickly looked back away. Whatever. Why did he care? She didn't matter.

"Miss Lewis, I believe your purpose here is finished." Another voice called out. Darcy scanned the room, trying to source. Aha. Agent Coulson stood in the doorway, arms folded.

"I would suggest you leave. And you too, Miss Foster. I have to debrief… er… Him." Coulson stated, his tone and expression unreadable; professional training, no doubt. Honestly, she didn't like that idea. Why would you _train_ to look and sound like a robot? Why would you even _want_ to? _Emotions_ were what defined humanity. Darcy shook her head, trying to refocus on what Coulson had just said. Wait she had to _leave_ now?

Darcy groaned. "All that security for like one minute…" She muttered, but obediently got up and started to walk out, Jane following a step behind her.

Urged by some feeling she couldn't explain (or repress), Darcy suddenly paused slightly, and turned her head, looking back into the room.

Immediately, a pair of inquisitive, vividly green eyes focused intently on hers. Sane at first look. Just a tint of insanity at the edges.

Darcy looked away as fast as she could, and continued walking out, trying to (unsuccessfully) ignore the feeling of _his_ sharp gaze burning her. She felt her face turn slightly red. She shuddered as tingles went down her spine. Wait, what? All he had done was _look_ at her.

Her last thought as she exited the building was, "Not fair…"

* * *

"Are you ready for your first assignment?"

Loki tore his gaze away from the door and back onto the agent. Loki studied him thoughtfully for a second.

"I killed you." Loki simply stated.

"You _thought_ you killed me. Now _are you_ ready for your first assignment?"

Loki looked at Coulson, his head cocked to the side, his eyes debating his answer. Finally, he said, "Your pathetic mortal _assignments_ cannot possibly interest a god. But, no matter. It is to be my _punishment_, is it not? So give it to me."

Coulson didn't move, his eyes boring into Loki. "Your first assignment is to help rebuild New York. You will be using your superior strength, yes even though Odin took away the majority of your powers, you are still quite strong, to move away damage; chunks of buildings, rocks, anything and everything. Thor and the Avengers will supervise, and help as well."

Loki shot to his feet. "You are giving me a _slave's_ job? I am a GOD!" He yelled.

"Even gods get what they deserve." Coulson simply said before striding to the door.

"How am I supposed to _clear damage_ with _this_?" Loki spat, holding up his hands, still chained together with handcuffs.

"They will come off temporarily while you work. But don't get any ideas. One step out of line, and you will be killed immediately. Shouldn't be too hard. You may be a god, but at least for now, you are a _weak_ one." Coulson paused in the doorway, flashing Loki a tense smile before strolling out.

* * *

Loki rubbed his wrists together. They were still numb with red marks from the handcuffs.

"Loki." Thor reminded again. Loki growled, his face contorted in a mask of anger. He reached down, lifting up a huge piece of stone with both hands.

The anger faded slightly to be replaced with concentration and pain. Hours of this mind-numbing work. The ignorant mortal fools had even had the audacity to gather to _watch_, like he was some sort of _performer_.

The _humiliation_... He was a god! Downgraded to some sort of slave…

"Loki. That is enough for today." Thor finally said.

Loki sighed aloud, then shook out his hands a little. He was exhausted. He'd admit _that_.

Suddenly, he felt something on his hands. He looked down, expecting to see Thor handing him something; a token of appreciation, perhaps?

But no.

His handcuffs were back on.

* * *

"Am I to retire for the night in your living complex again?" Loki asked, too tired to be sarcastic or biting.

Thor awkwardly raked a hand through his hair, nodding sheepishly. "Just a few more nights Br- Loki. We'll arrange something else by then…"

Loki nodded briskly.

* * *

Loki strode into Thor's apartment, leaning and turning his head around.

"Are you looking for something?" Thor asked, curious.

"No." Loki replied too quickly. He hadn't been looking for _her_, had he? No. He hadn't. No way. True, he had thought she would be here. And she wasn't. He tried to bite back the disappointment. He had no reason to be disappointed, did he? No. He did not. Loki clenched his teeth.

"Er… I shall retire presently." Thor announced, slightly awkwardly and then began to walk off.

Loki paused for a minute, then walked towards the couch. He ran a hand over it, then promptly laid down on it.

He began to fall into a strange pattern of sleep and consciousness, dreams flitting through his mind at random intervals, always fleeting, short lived, and on the periphery. But when he did dream, he dreamt of a pair of eyes. Brown eyes. Soft, wide, long-lashed. _Her_ eyes.

* * *

A week or so later…

* * *

Darcy opened one of her eyes groggily. Uggh. Something was shaking her awake. She groaned.

"Get up, Darcy we're going to go see how New York looks so far." A voice insisted above her. Darcy turned over.

"How did you even get _in_, Jane?" She moaned, extremely sleepy.

"Still have the spare key under the mat." Jane answered, seeming proud of herself.

"Remind me to move that, will you?" Darcy muttered underneath her breath.

"Darcy get up!" Jane finally said and gave her a little push from the other side of the bed. Darcy, already getting up was taken way off guard by the shove. Darcy shrieked and tumbled over the edge of the bed, falling onto her hardwood floor.

Jane put on a sheepish expression. "Whoops."

* * *

Darcy cursed under her breath limping to Jane's car outside her apartment building.

"Sorry, Darcy, really!" Jane apologized for like the eight hundred millionth time. Seriously. It was starting to get annoying now.

"It's _okay_." Darcy mumbled again, reaching forward and adjusting Jane's rear view mirror so she could assess the damage.

"Crap." A single vibrantly colorful bruise was forming on the right side of her forehead. That on top of the twisted ankle (thankfully she'd had a spare cast at her house) and a thin cut on her left cheek. Uggh. She shook her head.

"Seriously Jane, next time you try to wake me up try not to shove me…"

"I'm so sorry Darcy, really! It was an accident!" Jane cried. Oh god. She actually sounded a little choked up. Darcy chastised herself inside of her head.

"No it's fine." She said. "Come on, cheer up now. We're going to meet your godly-blonde-brick-house boyfriend."

Jane did flash a quick smile at that.

* * *

Darcy hummed as Jane drove into the city, her fingers tapping lightly on the dashboard. She looked around. New York looked normal. Wait. _New York looked NORMAL_.

Woah. Jane slowed down a little. Almost everything, _everything_, was back to usual. The rubble and debris that littered the streets was simply… _gone_…

"Thor said he'd be in here." Jane said, turning right onto a different street. Darcy nodded absent-mindedly, too busy gaping at the city.

Then, Jane pulled off to the side, parking her car. Ahead, Darcy could see Thor standing tall in the middle of the street, hammer in one hand, red cape fluttering in the wind.

Down to his left, a wall blocked her view but she could see one foot, clothed in black, stick out. A little corner of green was just barely in her line of vision.

* * *

"Hello, Jane, Darcy." Thor called, bounding up then giving each a huge bear hug, looking so much like an excited golden puppy that Darcy had to fight the urge to giggle.

Thor's expression turned into one of worry as he looked over Darcy. "What happened?"

"Oh… Er…" Jane began, stammering.

"I fell down the stairs." Darcy interrupted, supplying a ready answer.

Jane looked at her, surprised, but there was just a glint of gratefulness in her eyes. Darcy flashed a quick smile back. Thor nodded at her once, looking sober, and then plastered another huge grin on his face, taking a few steps forward and holding Jane's hand (who of course, blushed like a little schoolgirl), and started talking to her, completely engrossed.

Darcy rolled her eyes. Typical. "Hey, I'll be back!" She called over her shoulder, walking forward to where Thor was standing earlier. To that corner of green that she'd seen...

* * *

"Hello, Darcy." A low voice drawled.

Darcy jumped, startled then walked closer to _him_, deciding to pretend that had never even happened. Was she (just a little) scared? Hah, no way!

Feeling a little braver, she stood only a few feet away from him as he sat on a bench, slightly hunched over.

Looking at him from a little closer, Darcy gasped.

He was pale. Extremely pale, even for him. His hands were red, especially his wrists where the handcuffs sat. There were gashes and wounds at random places over him, and his hair was disheveled.

"Not such a pretty sight am I?" He asked, looking up. "They've reduced a _god_ to this." He added under his breath, more to himself than to her.

Darcy tried to regain her words. "Well, I'm far from my best myself." She finally said lamely.

Loki studied her looking carefully. He winced a little. "What happened?"

"I told Thor. You must've heard. I fell down the stairs."

"That was a lie." Loki mused.

"No, it wasn't!" Darcy said back defensively, answering too soon.

"Are you _really_ attempting to _lie_ to the _God of Lies_, mortal?" Loki was suddenly, up out of his seat, his face only a few inches away from hers. His focused green eyes seemed to peer into her soul. As if he mentally dared her to say something.

Darcy didn't of course. Her brain was pretty much shut off at that point. She was just caught in his intense gaze, like a deer in headlights.

Loki backed away and swiftly sat back down, his expression smug. "I thought so. Now what _really_ happened?"

"Jane was trying to wake me up and I didn't get up so she pushed me and I ended up falling off my bed and onto my floor." Darcy blurted out immediately, not thinking.

Loki's mouth twitched upwards. He pressed his lips together, trying to control the urge to laugh. He ended up giving up, chuckling.

Darcy's eyes flashed. "Hey! It's _not_ funny!" She gave him a playful shove and his eyes shot open wide and he groaned, leaning away. His hands immediately reached up to shield his torso.

Darcy gasped. "Oh, did I hurt you? I'm sorry! Didn't mean to!" She said, sincere.

Loki didn't answer, his eyes closed and his teeth clenched together.

"Leave." He said, his tone low.

"What?" Darcy asked, confused.

"I said, _leave_." He said louder, his eyes opening and glaring at her.

Darcy immediately stumbled a few steps back, almost tripping over her own feet. She started to briskly walk away, throwing a glance over her shoulder at him.

He was looking down, his lips pressed together.

Darcy turned back and jogged forward.

"THOR!"

* * *

She didn't _understand_! Loki screamed inside his head. She didn't _ know_. How shameful it was. How embarrassed he was. First that she would see him in this sorry state. And secondly, that she could, while meaning to just joke, actually _hurt_ him.

Loki clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together. He needed to freaking punch _something_. If he even had the strength left enough for _ that_. He scoffed inside his head.

How pitiful.

* * *

"Loki."

Loki's head popped up. Oh. Thor. Loki glared at him, waiting for him to say something.

Thor didn't and simply looked down at him, frowning. There was something in his eyes. Oh god, no. Was that… _Pity_? Loki wanted to scream more than anything now. Thor reached down and Loki instinctively pulled back, but Thor continues anyway, and rested his large palms on Loki's handcuffs.

"Double protection now?" Loki spat.

Thor looked away, a flash of pain in his eyes. "No."

And he stood up again. Loki's hands felt different. Less… Heavy. Surprised, Loki looked down. Sure enough, the handcuffs were gone. His wrists were free.

"You're freeing my hands?" He asked incredulously.

"Well… She did bring up a good point; you've worked so hard so far and New York is completely clear-"

"-She?" Loki interrupted. He had a feeling in his gut, that he decided not to trust.

"-and I owe her a favor too." Thor continued. "Darcy."


	5. Chapter 5

"Darcy."

Loki's breath hitched and he immediately spun his head to look down in another direction at the ground. He bit his teeth. _She_ had helped _him_. He grit his teeth. He was reduced to this, wasn't he? Taking help from _mortals_. He painted an expression of scorn on his face.

"You would do well to offer some gratitude, Loki." Thor said, his voice a touch sterner than normal. "It is only because of her that your chains are off."

Loki winced, then glanced at his wrists again, still red and swollen. He didn't say a word. He felt like screaming, laughing, burning down all of Midgard, building and raising it back, hurting her, saving her, all at once. He hated her for what she did to him. What she made him feel.

He still did not speak.

Thor grimaced and turned around, starting to walk away. "I will be back, brot- Loki." He called.

Loki studied the ground, his hands clenching into tight fists, blood dripping slowly from them as his fingernails broke the skin of his palms.

"Thank you…" A quiet whisper, turning through the air, carried away by the wind.

* * *

Darcy turned her head back. Jane and her were almost to her apartment. But there was something… A feeling she couldn't shake… What seemed like words, whispers, impossible to make out, drifting with the leaves as they slowly, one by one, started to trickle down, deserting the trees. She frowned and shook her head, trying to clear it as Jane pulled up to the entrance to her apartment.

"I'll see you later, Darcy." Jane said, smiling broadly, "And seriously, I'm so sorry again!"

Darcy nodded absently, her mind occupied in something else, and got out of Jane's car, shutting the door behind her as she walked up the stairs and down the corridor to her own apartment door. She slid the key into her lock and turned it slowly, stepping inside and locking the door again.

She frowned as she switched on the lights and strode to her bathroom, changing into some comfortable shorts and a soft oversized t-shirt, taking care not to jostle her twisted ankle too much, and brushed her hair back a little, leaving it open, as it draped around her shoulders.

Darcy leaned into the mirror, studying her face. Yep there was a bruise all right. And the cut on the other side seemed to not look that much different. Pursing her lips, she walked out into her living room, ready to plop down into the couch (maybe with a bowl of ice cream) when she shrieked.

* * *

A tall figure was sitting on her couch (in _her_ spot, if she may add) leaning over its outspread knees, its hands intertwined together. It was a figure she recognized very, _very_ well (too well for her own good).

Her eyes were open wide with undisguised fear as she madly stumbled backwards, tripping over her own leg cast as she fell backwards.

She slammed her eyes shut, ready for the hardwood floor (yet _again_), but instead she felt something around her waist. An arm was wrapped around it, holding her tight and raised above the ground. A tall, broad chest pressed into her own and she felt legs touching her legs.

From above, frighteningly intense green eyes stared down.

Darcy instinctively closed her eyes again.

The arm immediately released her as she struggled to catch her balance.

"Just because you shut your eyes, _mortal_, doesn't mean I shall go away." A voice sneered.

Darcy felt like throwing a tantrum, stomping her feet, and crying. Why. Why. WHY?! WHY do things like this always happen to _her_?! She looked at him. Loki was standing less than a foot away from her, towering over her. He still looked wounded, but a far better than earlier, Darcy noted.

" How did you g-get here? Why… Why are you h-here?" Darcy said, her voice squeaking at first, and then stammering as she managed with some difficulty to form words rather than strangled noises.

"Conjured up a body double." Loki stated passively, choosing to leave her second question unanswered, which made Darcy's heart thump embarrassingly loudly in her chest.

Loki took a step towards her, his eyes dangerous. Darcy immediately took a step back. Loki tilted his head, looking slightly curious. After a second, he took another few steps forward, matched with Darcy's additional steps back.

Another step closer. Darcy took another step in reverse, but felt her feet back up against something hard. She turned her head slightly back. She was against the wall, backed up, nowhere to go. She glanced back at Loki, who looked smug as he stepped forward until he was only a few inches from her.

Darcy considered screaming for help. But she decided it wouldn't do much good anyways. And well… She was… Curious…

His eyes were extremely close, and just as intense, piercing into her own. Darcy held his gaze, biting into her lower lip.

Suddenly, he raised up a hand and Darcy slammed her eyes shut, turning her head away. She felt him even closer, against her. His foot was in between her feet, nudging her cast. Slowly, she felt long, thin fingers trail from her temple to along her cheekbone and down her jawbone, first on one side, then on the other.

He was saying something. It didn't seem to be in English. But Darcy couldn't concentrate on that. She could barely concentrate on anything right now.

Darcy clenched her teeth. His fingers seemed to blazing a trail of fire. Yet she was shivering. She was burning up. Yet she was freezing. She was sure of it. There was no other way to describe that feeling. And then the fingers were abruptly drawn away, and he wasn't close to her anymore.

Darcy opened her eyes, looking around. He was gone. Her apartment was seemingly empty. Suddenly, Darcy shivered as an unknown cold shattered through the room. She crossed her arms, trying to stay warm through the sudden chill.

She heard hurriedly whispered words. "Look in the mirror…" Darcy furrowed her brows, and then walked to her bathroom, barely noticing that she wasn't limping pathetically anymore.

She looked in her mirror, expecting to see nothing, and gasped. Across it, in an elegantly formed script, was sprawled the words, "_Thank you"_, fading away quickly, until they disappeared completely and she couldn't be sure if she'd actually seen them or no.

She was about to turn away when she stopped. Her face was flushed, obviously, and sadly, she noted. But there was something more. Her bruise… And her cut… They were gone. Darcy ran her hands over his cheeks, where his fingers had been trailing just a few moments earlier. But her skin was perfectly smooth, without a break. As if there hadn't been any wound there in the first place. She looked down, experimentally moving her foot. No pain.

He had healed her.

* * *

Darcy yawned, her head drooping onto Jane's shoulder. She had actually _volunteered _to come to S.H.I.E.L.D. with her today. _Just _to make Jane happy, she told herself. It wasn't to see anyone. Not even a certain someone.

But either way, Jane and her and had waiting outside a meeting room for what seemed like an eternity. Darcy groaned, burying her head deeper into Jane's shoulder as Jane sighed. Darcy closed her eyes, promising herself it was just for a second, but before she knew it, she was drifting off.

* * *

Thor opened the door as the Avengers and Loki started to step outside. Loki paused at the doorway. She was here. He knew it. Somehow. He tilted his head, looking around. There.

He tried to hide a smile as he saw her clearly fast asleep, eyes closed and mouth half-open, head leaning on Jane. She looked adorable. Wait. No. She was a mortal. She was beneath him. It didn't matter. The positive emotion melted off Loki's face, replaced with a stern scowl as he stalked out of the meeting room, avoiding looking at _her_.

"Thor!" Jane said, her voice doused with _far_ too much happiness, Loki observed. That woman. Couldn't she see that Darcy was asleep? What if her mindless squeaking awoke her?

Loki grit his teeth. _Again_. Thinking about _her_. _He_ _did not care about her at all, whether she lived or died, she was a mortal_, he repeated inside his head over and over.

"Ugh." Jane struggled to gently move Darcy off of her so that she could get to go meet Thor without waking her up.

"Here, let me help." A voice suggested. Loki whipped his head towards the source. It was… Captain America…

Loki furrowed his brows. He watched intensely, studying him, as the Captain bounded across the floor, his hands slipping under Darcy's body, as he lifted her up, bridal style, in her arms. Loki's hands clenched into fists.

Darcy shifted in her sleep and Loki held his breath, but she relaxed, turning slightly in the Captain's arms, one of her hands absently clutching his shirt in her sleep, her head nestled between the crook of his arm and his chest.

"Loki?" A voice asked. "Are you feeling well? You look ill." Thor said.

"I am fine." Loki snapped curtly.

"Loki, your hands-" Thor began again.

Loki looked down. They were still in fists, but blood was trickling from them, vibrantly red against the pale of his skin. Loki studied it for an instant, then relaxed his hands, looking down at the carpet for a few seconds, his lips a thin line, then abruptly stormed out of the room.

* * *

Loki sat down, raking a hand through his hair absent-mindedly. What had _happened_ back there? What had he done. He had… Hurt himself in his fury… His fury at whom? Her? No. _Him. _The _Captain_, he spoke the name scornfully even inside his head. But _why_? He had no reason to be angry at him.

All the Captain had done was simply lift _her_ up, carry _her_ in his arms as if _she_ was _his_. Loki felt a fire burn inside him again. An urge to strangle _him_, throw him against a wall, out a window, _anything_! Loki wanted to scream. Why did that matter to him?! He was… Jealous? NO! He was _not_ jealous! Because he did not care for her! He did not! HE DID NOT!

"I DO NOT, I DO NOT!" He yelled, standing up straight.

He looked over, just then noticing a woman, a cleaning woman, a servant, standing a few steps from him. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open, her jaw hanging slack as she stared openly. Her broom dropped to the floor. He glared at her, daring her to say something. She scrambled backwards, then turned around, running from him, out of sight.

Loki sat back down. He lifted two fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose.

He did not! Did he? He was a god! She was a mortal! She was beneath him! She was better for nothing than to _serve_him, to _kneel_ before him! So he did not. He _could_ not.

Loki sighed.

* * *

Thor stared at the back of his hastily retreating brother as he stormed away. He hoped he was okay. Loki had never… Behaved in such a manner…

Thor thought hard. No wait. Loki _had_. Thor had seen him act such one time before. When they were both children, and it was Loki's birthday. Frigga had wished him a happy birthday; showered him with presents and attention and love, but when Thor had been put out at not getting any attention himself, Frigga had lifted him onto his lap and played with him, calling him, "her darling eldest". Loki had looked much the same as he had now. He had clenched his fists and his teeth, his lips drawn thin and his eyes dangerous, and he almost expected sparks to fly off of him.

But what had made him feel that way again? Thor furrowed his brows. He did not know. He simply did not. And he hated the feeling.

* * *

Loki walked back into the room, feeling slightly better than he had before. The feeling quickly disappeared when he saw Darcy still placed firmly in the Captain's arms. He attempted to ignore her completely, and sat down on a nearby chair, flipping through a file.

* * *

Darcy shifted in her sleep. Ugh. What _was_ that? She felt something against her. Wait. Wasn't she at S.H.I.E.L.D.? Crap. Her eyes flew open immediately to find a pair of blue eyes gazing down into her own. Steve grinned.

"It's about time, sleepyhead." He murmured. Darcy could feel a pair of eyes burning into them and looked over to find Thor talking to Jane while Loki was staring, no, glaring, at them. Darcy felt herself blush. She remembered the last time she'd seen him in her apartment. And blushed harder.

She pushed against Steve, moving. "Let me down, Apple Pie!" She said.

Loki frowned. _Apple Pie?_

"Apple Pie?" Steve asked, laughing lightly, his arms still holding her tightly.

"Yeah, because it's all like, American and stuff-, okay anyway, let me down, dude! Why are you carrying me in the first place?" Darcy moved against him again, afraid to just jump out of his arms for fear of falling. She fell too much anyway…

"You fell asleep on Jane and she needed help moving you so, yeah."

"So why didn't you just put me down afterwards?" Darcy asked.

From across the room, Loki raised his eyebrows. EXACTLY!

"Uh…" Steve muttered, at a loss for words. His face turned red. Gently, he lowered his arms, setting Darcy down on the ground. He ran a hand through his hair. "Uh…"

"Okay you know what, Apple Pie? Forget it." Darcy saved him the torture of answering. Steve nodded sheepishly.

"I'm uh… Going to go… Eat some… Er… Pie…" He hurried fled the room, more running than walking. Darcy stared after him, utterly confused. She shrugged.

"Don't know what's gotten into _him_..." She muttered.

Loki looked up slightly. He had a feeling _he_ did.

Darcy turned back to the room. Thor and Jane were engrossed and wrapped up in their own little world. Loki was studying a file. Loki.

Darcy froze, her eyes catching on him. She walked past him to Jane, and tapped on her shoulder.

"You wanna leave now, dude?" She asked. Jane nodded and said a few words to Thor before walking towards the door with her, "Bye, Loki." Jane called.

"Good bye." Loki said, looking straight at Darcy.

Darcy frowned, and then slipped her arm through Jane's, leading her out. She threw a last look over her shoulder.

"Good bye, Darcy…" Loki whispered again.

"Loki? Did you say something?" Thor asked.

"No. Nothing at all…"

Thor nodded. "I must go attend to Director Fury, I shall be back, Broth- Loki."

After Thor's departure, Loki looked down again.

Inside the file, a there was a picture. It was of a woman. A woman with soft, long-lashed eyes, and thick dark brown hair. Her head was thrown back in a peal of laughter, waves of joy seeming to roll off of her, even in a picture, warming all around it.

Darcy.


	6. Chapter 6

The file lay across the room, thrown onto the floor, pictures and documents spilling out its side, the grin of a woman still half visible in an especially large photo, partially obscured by the folder. Loki rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

Why. Couldn't. He. Get. Her. Out. Of. His Mind.

Loki clenched his fists, eyes squeezing shut, attempting to push thoughts of _her_ away. Her laughter seemed to ring lightly inside his head, _ mocking_ him. He roared and shot to his feet, chair toppling over behind. Damn her!

He looked back to the folder, laying on the floor where he had thrown it in a fit of fury moments before. A corner of another photo, one he _hadn't_ seen, peeked out. Loki let out a deep sigh of surrender, and walked over to it, his curiosity getting the better of him. Leaning down, he picked up the picture by its corner and stood up straight again, all in one fluid motion.

His eyes scanned the photo. A corner of his mouth started to twitch upwards a little. Finally, he was chuckling quietly. He shoved the photo into his pocket. He would keep _that_ one.

* * *

"These will be your new chambers of residence." Thor spread his arms out in a wide arc, half-turning and smiling broadly, obviously proud.

Loki furrowed his eyebrows, surveying his surroundings; arms crossed. He frowned. "They are meager. Unfit for a god."

Thor grimaced.

Loki continued, "But they will do…" After a moment's pause, he even added, "Thank you." In a low whisper.

Thor grinned at him, dipping his head once for leave, then walked to the exit. He paused in the doorway.

"Don't be getting any ideas, Loki…" He warned.

Loki waved his hand dismissively. "I am aware of the consequences." He iterated.

Thor nodded briskly again, before closing the door behind him. Loki immediately turned to face his "chambers", if they could be called them. They _were_ truly meager, an "apartment", they were called. Tsk tsk tsk. This would not _do_. Some… _Changes_ needed to be made.

* * *

Darcy sat in her swivel chair at her desk, her head drooping, resting on one hand. Her other hand drummed artlessly on the wood of the desk. Her eyes were blandly focused on the blank white sheet of paper on the desk, waiting expectantly to be filled with a shopping list.

"Is this what you do all day?" A voice suddenly asked, extremely close to her. Darcy shrieked and pushed back violent from the desk on impulse, the wheels of her chair caught on a roll in the rug and toppling backwards.

A firm hand grasped onto the top of her chair, holding her suspended in the air. She was practically horizontal, looking up as a pair of emerald green eyes peered down at her from above.

"Do you always fall a lot?" He mused.

"Shut up." Darcy growled. "And stop doing that!"

"What?" Loki leaned further over the chair, his face hanging over hers, upside-down in her point of view.

"Showing up out of nowhere and scaring the hell out of me." Darcy shifted in her chair, uncomfortable with him being so close.

"You're _scared_ of me?" He seemed to toy with that in his head, and Darcy thought he looked _far_ too amused, for _either_ of their good. He gently pushed her chair back up to its upright position, and Darcy immediately jumped out, clambering to her feet.

"_Why_ are you here?" She ignored the feeling of her heart pounding against her chest.

"I came… To apologize…" Loki stood up straight too, staring down at her. His eyes seemed to be full of regret, but Darcy thought she saw of a hint of something other than that. Something lighter, more playful. Something in the way his eyes almost sparkled, catching the warm, yellow light thrown off her lamp. She lost her train of thought, words caught in her throat.

After a minute, deciding he _already_ thought she was completely crazy, she snapped herself out of it.

"A- Apologize? Wait. For what?" She cleared her throat, trying to focus her gaze on his face in general instead of his eyes. Well _that_ was a _huge_ help, Darcy thought sarcastically.

"I want to apologize…" Loki began, he reached down and held up her hand. Darcy's breath hitched. Damn her body. Damn these stupid reactions it had. Damn the effect he had on her.

Suddenly, the door banged open. "Darcy, reinforce your door, hon, a paper clip can pick the lock." Tony Stark walked in, his hands busy with a paper bag. "I brought shwarma!" He announced, then finally looked over.

"Oh. Busy. Sorry." He hastily walked out, door closing behind him. Darcy kept staring at the door. After a few seconds, the door banged open again.

"LOKI?!" Tony said in disbelief. Loki glowered at him. Darcy turned bright red.

Tony looked back to Darcy, then to Loki, and back and forth over a few times, almost as if a ping-pong match was going on between them. Finally, his eyes fixed on Darcy's hand, currently enveloped in Loki's.

"Are you… Are you… Serious? Are you _kidding _me?" Tony seemed to be torn in between shocked and amused to the point of tears.

"No, it's not what you think." Darcy began, drawing her hand away from Loki's. but was immediately cut off by Tony, who held a palm up to stop her.

"No, no. No explanation needed." He pressed his lips together. "Uh… We'll talk tomorrow, okay, Darcy?" He backed out, and just before closing the door, called out, "Have fun with Reindeer Games. Even his armor shows that he's one… _ horn_y guy." Tony started laughing like crazy, then finally closed the door.

Darcy growled. She turned back to Loki, who had a completely blank expression. "Uh… So… After that, erm, weird interruption… Will you tell me why you're apologizing again." She flushed.

"I apologized…" Loki said, his tone even, as his hand swiftly reclaimed hers.

"...Because I saw you naked." He finished.

Darcy abruptly drew her hand back. "You WHAT?"

"I saw you naked." Loki shrugged.

"_EXCUSE_ ME?!" Darcy shrieked. "Wha- How- WHEN?!"

"I believe you were taking a bath."

"WHA- YOU…"

Loki started laughing. Then, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a photo, still chuckling. Darcy grabbed it from him, eyes roaming over it. Her expression lost some of the fury.

In the photo, was a happy, bouncing, giggling baby girl in a bathtub, half covered with bubbles, even on her silky dark brown hair.

The corner of Darcy's mouth lifted slightly.

"Am I forgiven, then?" His voice jerked her back from lost childhood memories.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "No." She said the word carefully and measuredly. Of course he wasn't forgiven. First he scares her by showing up out of _nowhere_, then scares her even more by saying he saw her _ naked_, when really it was just a _baby photo_. And now on top of that, Tony thinks she just prances around hand in hand with supervillains that were also gods that had maybe destroyed entire cities. No, he was totally _not_ forgiven!

"No?" Loki asked, tilting his head to the side.

"No. Now get out." Darcy tried to maintain a firm tone.

"Well, that's too bad, because I came here asking a favor." His voice seemed to be as smooth as silk.

"A… Favor?"

"Yes. A favor." He repeated slowly, as if she was mentally incompetent. _As if! _The _nerve_! "Would like me to explain what a favor is?"

"I _know_ what a favor is, Mr. Smarty-Pants!" Darcy snapped back. "What _kind_ of favor…?" Darcy was curious now, but still on her guard.

"Well. As you may know, Thor has found me an apartment." Loki began.

"So maybe you should stay there instead of barging into other people's places." Darcy muttered underneath her breath.

Loki ignored her, continuing, "But it is not… Up to standard, shall we say? So, I am in the process of transforming it with, well, with my powers, of course."

"What does this have to do with me? And I thought you had all your toys- excuse me, _powers_- taken away." Darcy interrupted.

Loki held out a finger. "I'm _getting_ there. And no, not _all_ my powers got taken away, remember? I believe I spilt Fanta on you when we first met."

"I remember." Darcy grumbled. "You owe me a shirt."

"Anyway, so with what meager magic I have left, it will… Take some _time_… To _modify_ the apartment to suit my… well, er, _needs_. So, I need a place to… Reside… While that happens. And I'd really rather not spend another night with Jane and Thor." Loki rolled his eyes.

"You want to stay? Here? In _my_ apartment. With _me_." Darcy crossed her arms. Nuh uh. Hah, what did he _think_ of himself? Or her?

"No way, bub." She said. "Not a _chance_."

Loki nodded. "Very well. But think about it. As for tonight, I can reside in Thor's chambers."

"Yeah, why don't you 'reside'", Darcy put air-quotation marks around that word, "in Thor's apartment for the rest of the time you're waiting to have your apartment pretty-fied. Now, you should _leave_."

Loki bowed his head. "Goodnight, Miss Lewis." He walked to the door and shut it behind him. Darcy turned around, ready to start walking in the opposite direction, when a chill cut through the atmosphere and she stopped.

A whisper carried into the air.

"_Think about it…"_


	7. Chapter 7

"Think about it…"

"UGH!" Darcy groaned. Not. Freaking. Fair.

"You can't just do that!" She yelled to the air. "You can't just barge into my apartment, scare the crap outta me, then say you saw me naked and scare the crap outta me again, and then ask if we wanna be roomies?! You can't do that, okay?! You can't! It's… It's just… Not allowed!" Darcy stomped into her bedroom.

Great. Now he had her yelling to no one. And the neighbors already thought she was crazy enough.

"Screw you, dude!" She finally shouted, before plopping down onto her bed. Hmm. Yelling, even if he wasn't there, actually made her feel better. Darcy pulled the covers tightly around her, burrowing into her bed.

Tomorrow was going to contain a very interesting conversation with Tony…

* * *

Loki adjusted himself on Thor's couch, deep in thought.

What had he just done? He'd gone to her chambers. Him. He'd held her hand. He'd even asked her if he could stay in her chambers. Sure, only temporarily, but still.

And there was absolutely no reason to all of it. Maybe he'd acted rashly… But why had he done that? He didn't- He couldn't possibly care for a woman, let alone a mortal one, could he? He'd had affairs, obviously. But he'd never… Spent so much…. Effort on them. And this one was merely human too.

It was all extremely…

Confusing.

* * *

Darcy pulled her hair back into a side braid, deciding to go with a set of soft, business-style black pants and a dark green blouse; one of her favorites, paired with golden hoop earrings and a matching necklace, and toned golden platform heels.

Looking herself over one last time in the mirror, she jogged downstairs to go hail a cab, ready to go face whatever torture awaited her at S.H.I.E.L.D. Yeah, she needed to talk to Tony, clear things up. And maybe go give Loki a piece of her mind. Maybe.

* * *

Darcy practically threw open the grey door, expecting to find Loki sitting in the room she usually saw him in, the general room that opened into the Avengers' conference room. Instead, she saw Tony, sitting in a chair backwards, on some kind of electronic (that he probably designed himself), concentrating on blowing up pixelated spaceships, his fingers flying across the screen, as his score in the upper-right hand corner steadily increased. Well, she had wanted to talk to him.

After a few seconds, a sad noise emanated from the game as Tony's own spaceship exploded. 'YOU DIED' flashed across the screen in huge yellow letters.

Tony groaned, setting it down. He seemed to notice Darcy for the first time. "Oh, hey Darce!"

"Hey." Darcy flashed a quick grin. Now how was she going to get to the point…

"So… You look tired." Tony noted. True. Darcy shrugged.

"I had a bit of a late night." She explained. She had. For some reason, she had had so much trouble falling asleep last night, it was ridiculous, so she had just gotten up and watched stupid movies until she fell asleep on her couch at like two. She shifted slightly. "I think I killed my shoulder…" Her couch was awesome, just not the best to actually sleep on.

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Late night? Killed shoulder? Is this not painfully obvious? Am I correct in assuming all that's because of a certain horn-y guy we all know?" He bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud.

Darcy froze for an instant. Had he just…? God, and she'd given him the perfect scenario…

"What?! NO!" She said, a little too forcefully.

Tony put his palms up. "Hey, you don't need to defend yourself to me!"

"Tony. Get this straight. I am not with Loki."

"So that's why you were making goo-goo eyes at him last night while he held your hand? Because you're totally not with him?"

"G-Goo-goo eyes?" Darcy sputtered. "No! I do not make goo-goo eyes."

"Yeah sure you don't, Darcy." Tony drawled sarcastically. "Hey, Darce, d'ya think you could maybe inform your boyfriend that chucking people out of windows and almost destroying the world isn't nice? Thanks, that'd be a huge help."

"He's not my boyfriend, now would you listen for once in your life?!" Darcy's patience finally seemed to break.

"Fine, fine, fine. You don't need to go all Godzilla on me."

Darcy ignored that last comment. "We are not together in any form or way, okay?"

Tony simply looked at her pointedly

"You're hopeless." Darcy finally threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "Hopeless!" She cried one more time, backing out of the room.

On a sudden impulse she poked her head back in through the doorway.

"If you tell a single soul about your -UNTRUE- suppositions, I swear, Tony Stark, I can and will hang your head on my wall. And oh yeah, I'll tell Hawkeye the truth about who switched all of his arrows to be headed with rubber chickens.

* * *

Darcy strode through the hallways, feeling empowered. Sure Tony hadn't believed her. And would probably tease her forever. But that last trump card she'd played was totally worth it. She smirked. That would certainly hold his tongue.

Suddenly, she slammed straight into something. Something tall and hard. She fell back a little from the force of impact, still reeling.

"Do mortals always have such terrible eyesight?" Loki's voice sounded amused. "Or are you just a special case?"

"Shut up." Darcy muttered, still rubbing her head on the spot where she hit him.

"Or did you mean to run into me?" His tone was wicked, his eyes glinting. "You're even wearing my colors." He looked pointedly at her outfit.

Darcy looked down in confusion. Oh, crap. She actually was. She glared daggers at him, then turned around promptly on her heels, starting to storm away down the hallway. She was abruptly halted, a large hand on her elbow, holding her back. The second she stopped moving, the hand immediately shot away as if it had been burned.

"What do you want?" She growled, still refusing to turn around and face him.

"Have you reconsidered my favor?" His tone was hard to read, seeming like a hundred conflicting emotions.

Darcy finally whirled around. Her face felt like it was heating up.

"You can't just… You can't just walk wherever you want, say whatever you want and then just ask me if you wanna stay with me!" Darcy sputtered, not finding a way to properly express her anger.

Loki frowned, towering over her. "I am a god." His eyes flashed dangerously.

"Not here you're not! And especially not in my apartment or to me." Darcy blurted out words without thinking properly, just consumed by her extreme irritation. "You're just an egotistical megalomaniac who feels better by hurting other people."

Suddenly, Darcy felt herself being shoved roughly against the wall, Loki's hands iron grips around her wrists. She squirmed against his grasp, his fingers digging into her skin painfully.

"Watch your tongue." Loki growled, leaning into her.

"Let go!"

Loki pulled his hands away, Darcy stumbling forward a little, and then abruptly, without any warning, he turned around and stormed away without a word.

Darcy watched his back in indignation as she rubbed her wrists, attempting to return feeling to them.

* * *

Loki speared a hand through his hair. Again. It had happened again.

Again, he had talked to her. Practically sought her out, even. What was wrong with him? And she… She had behaved with the utmost insolence! Yelling at and insulting him, a god. Did she know no better?! She had angered him immensely.

But… Maybe he had overreacted a little. Loki looked down at his hands. Slowly his fists unclenched as he stared at his fingers, which moments earlier were holding her wrists. He had most definitely left bruises.

Loki sighed.

* * *

Darcy scoffed, tossing her bag onto her couch as she shut her apartment door. How dare he? How dare he make her mad, then get mad at her and hurt her and then just walk away?

"How dare he?" She said out loud, looking down at her wrists, which were starting to turn an angry shade of red.

"I assume you are talking about me?"

Darcy shrieked, stumbling backwards and tripping over a roll in her rug, falling directly on her butt. Smooth, Darce, real smooth.

"So you do just fall a lot…" Loki mused.

Darcy quickly scrambled to her feet.

"What the- What are you doing here?!" She was practically shouting.

"Happy to see me?" Loki shrugged.

Darcy sputtered. "Wh-Why- GAH!" She finally groaned, throwing up her hands in defeat, plopping down onto her couch.

Loki walked to her, crouching down so that he was eye level with her. He reached forward, and Darcy instinctively drew back. Loki ignored that, and continued, his hand making contact with her wrists. Darcy winced, they were still sensitive. She glared suspiciously at him. One more minute, and she was tasing him and screaming for help.

His fingers traced lightly over her bruises, and a wave of sweet, clear relief spread from them. Darcy's suspicions vanished and she sighed, relaxing.

"I… Apologize…" Loki stumbled over the words, almost bashful. He obviously didn't apologize often.

"Are you bipolar or something?" Darcy suddenly blurted out, curious.

Loki stared at her for a minute, then laughed lightly. Darcy didn't want to admit it, but that sound… It did things to her. No. It did not. She was supposed to be angry at him for crying out loud!

"You are an extremely odd mortal." He said, a small smile still playing on his lips.

Darcy shrugged. "I know."

Her eyes met his brilliant green ones and her lips even tilted up slightly. And suddenly, she was lost. Lost in those eyes. Darcy almost winced at how cheesy that sounded even inside of her head. But there was no other way to phrase it. She was completely and absolutely mesmerized, her eyes focused on his, every blink lined with long, dark eyelashes only a momentary distraction from the vibrant green captivating her.

Suddenly, Loki averted his gaze to look off the side, straightening up and standing tall, and Darcy snapped out of it, her cheeks flushing a deep scarlet.

"You can stay!" She suddenly blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Loki's voice sounded extremely surprised, and his eyebrows looked like if they rose any higher, they were going to disappear into his hairline.

"I said that you can stay here. At my place. While you fix your own apartment." Darcy's tone was lower. Too late to back out now, Darce.

"I… See…" Loki said slowly; he seemed to be debating internally. "Very well." He finally said, straightening up, and issuing a curt nod.

"I'm going to… Go to the… Bathroom…" Darcy awkwardly stammered, then rushed out and ran into her bathroom, closing the door forcefully.

What the heck. What. WHAT?! He could stay?! Where the heck did that come from?! What was she thinking?! Too late now, she reminded herself.

Darcy looked at her sink, then turned on a tap, splashing water onto her face. Hey, that's what people in the movies always do when faced with a tough situation… Darcy looked into her mirror. The entire front of her shirt was now wet, and water was slowly dripping down her elbows. Yeah, that didn't work…

Oh my god. Loki was now living with her. For like two days. But still. Oh my god. Oh my GOD. WHAT?! He was staying in her apartment, with her. Tony Stark was going to have a field day with this, she thought ruefully. Loki really was staying with her. Wait. She needed to set some serious rules. Right. Now.

Darcy ran back to the living room, to find Loki leaning back on her couch, one leg crossed over the other. Darcy's heart nearly stopped at the sight.

"You're still here." She said breathlessly.

"Obviously." Loki drawled in a sarcastic voice.

Ok. Ok. She needed a moment to get used to this. Ok. Darcy ran her hands through her hair, feeling frazzled.

"So…?" Loki prompted.

"Uhh… Rules!"

"I'm all ears." Loki shifted his body to face her, resembling a child at school so much that Darcy nearly laughed. Nearly. She was still in shock.

"Okay well first of all, uh, I am off limits. So no touching, trouble-making whatever."

Loki raised his eyebrows.

"And secondly," Darcy continued, "Don't touch my personal stuff without asking. And you eat my pop tarts and you will die. I don't care if you're a god, I will track you down and kill you. Or at least make you buy me new pop tarts. Don't make mischief. And actually, you know what? How about no magic at all."

"And when is my bedtime, mother?" Loki's voice dripped sarcasm.

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Whenever I go to bed, because you stay up longer than me, and it's going to freak me out that you're watching me or something and I won't be able to sleep."

"I'll be sure to keep an eye on you, then." Loki said. "And I only must retire here until tomorrow night. I believe my own chambers shall be in order by then."

Darcy shrugged. "I'm going to go eat something. You go… Do whatever godly stuff it is you do all day… I bet it's like stalking people or something." She muttered on her way to the kitchen.

"Oh, by the way!" Loki called. Darcy stuck her head through the doorway of the kitchen.

"What?"

"Your shirt is completely see-through when wet; I like the black lace!"


End file.
